Teleost chloride cell. II. Autoradiographic localization of gill Na,K-ATPase in killifish Fundulus heteroclitus adapted to low and high salinity environments

Rapid modulation of gill Na+ + K+-dependent ATPase activity during acclimation of the killifish Fundulus heteroclitus to salinity change

The enzymatic properties of membrane-bound Na+ + K+-ATPase from gills of killifish acclimated to fresh water, to 16% sea water, or to 30% sea water appear to be identical, indicating that the same enzyme may function to absorb Na+ in low salinities and excrete Na+ at the gills in high salinities. Ammonium ion is an effective substitute for K+: in the ATPase reaction itself, in blocking phosphorylation of the ATPase protein, and in inhibiting the binding of ouabain to the enzyme. The specific activities of the Na+ + K+-ATPase in the three different salinities are consistent with the expected Na+ pumping rates: higher in fresh water and 30% sea water than in 16% sea water. Within one-half hour after transfer of killifish from one salinity to another, gill Na+ + K+-ATPase activities reach equilibrium levels. The rapid increase in Na+ + K+-ATPase activity in gill microsomes of fish acclimating from fresh water to 30% sea water is accompanied by a slow decrease in the number of binding sites for ouabain, supporting the idea that acclimation to short-term salinity changes may involve modifications in the catalytic rate rather than the number of Na+ + K+-ATPase molecules.

Active chloride transport in the in vitro opercular skin of a teleost (Fundulus heteroclitus), a gill-like epithelium rich in chloride cells

1. The opercular epithelium lining the inside of the gill chamber of the killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, contains Cl(-) cells, identical in fine structure to gill Cl(-) cells, at the high density of 4 x 10(5) cells/cm(2). This epithelium can be isolated, mounted in a Lucite chamber, and its ion transport properties studied with the short-circuit current technique.2. The isolated opercular epithelia of seawater-adapted fish, when bathed on both sides with Ringer and gassed with 100% O(2), displayed a mean short-circuit current of 136.5 +/- 11.1 muA/cm(2), a mean transepithelial potential difference of 18.7 +/- 1.2 mV (blood side positive), and a mean transepithelial d.c. resistance of 173.7 +/- 12.1 Omega.cm(2) (mean +/- S.E. of mean; n = 64).3. The transepithelial potential difference across the opercular epithelia of seawater-adapted fish was dependent on both Na(+) and Cl(-) in the bathing solutions and increased linearly with increasing Cl(-) concentrations with a slope of 28.3 +/- 2.1 mV/tenfold concentration change. The short-circuit current was Na(+) dependent and increased linearly with increasing Cl(-) concentrations with no evidence of saturation kinetics below 142.5 m-equiv/l.4. When the short-circuited epithelia of seawater-adapted fish, bathed on both sides with Ringer, was gassed with 100% O(2) the mean Cl(-) blood side to seawater side flux was 211.7 +/- 27.1 muA/cm(2) and the mean Cl(-) seawater side to blood side flux was 48.9 +/- 10.0 muA/cm(2). This resulted in a net Cl(-) blood side to seawater side flux of 162.8 muA/cm(2) which was not statistically different (P > 0.70) from the mean short-circuit current of 158.6 +/- 16.3 muA/cm(2) for these flux studies. The mean Na(+) blood side to seawater side flux was 32.2 +/- 3.3 muA/cm(2) and the mean Na(+) seawater side to blood side flux was 34.8 +/- 4.1 muA/cm(2), resulting in no significant (P > 0.20) net flux of this cation. Similar results were obtained with short-circuited epithelia of seawater-adapted fish when bathed on both sides with Ringer and gassed with 95% O(2)/5% CO(2).5. Ouabain (10(-5)M), furosemide (10(-3)M), thiocyanate (10(-2)M), adrenaline (10(-6)M), and anoxia (100% N(2)) decreased the short-circuit current 92.7, 85.0, 45.3, 62.6, and 83.3% respectively. Theophylline (10(-4)M) stimulated the short-circuit current 54.9%. Increasing the HCO(3) (-) concentration in the bathing solutions had a stimulatory effect on the short-circuit current and the potential difference across epithelia from seawater-adapted fish.6. The opercular epithelia of freshwater-adapted F. heteroclitus, when bathed on both sides with Ringer, displayed a mean short-circuit current of 94.1 +/- 10.4 muA/cm(2), a mean transepithelial potential difference of 14.8 +/- 1.9 mV (blood side positive), and a mean d.c. resistance of 169.0 +/- 14.0 Omega.cm(2) (mean +/- S.E. of mean; n = 20). Isotope flux studies across these short-circuited epithelia revealed a net Cl(-) blood side to freshwater side flux of 95.2 +/- 16.1 muA/cm(2) and no significant net flux of Na(+).7. The opercular epithelia of 200% seawater-adapted F. heteroclitus, when bathed on both sides with Ringer, displayed a mean short-circuit current of 33.5 +/- 8.5 muA/cm(2), a mean transepithelial potential difference of 10.5 +/- 2.5 mV (blood side positive), and a mean transepithelial d.c. resistance of 440.7 +/- 62.6 Omega.cm(2) (mean +/- S.E. of mean n = 18). Isotope flux studies across these short-circuited epithelia revealed a net Cl(-) blood side to seawater side flux of 96.2 +/- 51.5 muA/cm(2) and a net Na(+) blood side to seawater side flux of 65.3 +/- 28.6 muA/cm(2).

Ouabain inhibition of gill Na-K-ATPase: relationship to active chloride transport

Ouabain circulating in blood inhibits Na-K-ATPase in the gills of seawater eels at a concentration similar to that necessary for inhibition in vitro. By contrast, a much higher concentration is required when ouabain is applied to the exterior of the gill. Inhibition by external ouabain occurs only when the drug gains access to the circulation of the fish, as evidenced by simultaneous inhibition of Na-K-ATPase in the kidney. These results suggest that the Na-K-ATPase of gill chloride cells faces inward, lining intracytoplasmic tubular channels continuous with the extracellular fluid. Inhibition of gill Na-K-ATPase by ouabain in intact salt water eels results in almost complete inhibition of the efflux of both Na+ and Cl-. The efflux is tritiated water was much less reduced, to 60% of normal. Since chloride is actively transported outward across the gill of seawater teleosts, it is suggested that active chloride transport is coupled to Na-K-ATPase. A neutral sodium chloride carrier is postulated that is energized by the movement of sodium from extracellular fluid down its electrochemical gradient into the chloride cell.

Killifish opercular skin: a flat epithelium with a high density of chloride cells

In teleosts the head region, particularly the gills, plays the key role in osmoregulatory NaCl transport, presumably by mechanisms located in the chloride cell. As interest has focused on specific mechanisms of chloride cell function, two classical preparations, the intact fish and the isolated, perfused gill, have continued to serve as the only available model systems. However, both of these preparations have severe limitations, e.g., as they are not flat sheets, they cannot be studied readily under the ideal thermodynamic conditions achieved with the short-circuit current technique. The present sutdy describes the histology and ultrastructure of a particular area of skin in the head region of both killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) and sea raven (Hemitripterus americanus). This skin lies on the inside of the operculum and possesses a flat epithelium containing chloride cells. In the present study the identity of the chloride cell in this epithelium was definitively established with the electron microscope. Although the opercular epithelium from the marine sea raven contains few chloride cells, that from the euryhaline killifish adapted to pond water, 100%-, and 200% artificial seawater is predominately chloride cells. Significantly, the teleost gill has never been reported to contain more than 10% chloride cells. Thus the opercular skin of the killifish can serve as a model to study the adaptive role of chloride cells in euryhaline teleosts. A separate electrophysiological study has deminstrated that the short-circuit current technique can be applied to this skin.

Chloride transport across isolated opercular epithelium of killifish: a membrane rich in chloride cells

The opercular epithelium of Fundulus heteroclitus contains typical gill chloride-secreting cells at the high density of 4 X 10(5) cells per square centimeter. When isolated, mounted as a membrane, and short-circuited, it actively transports chloride ions from the blood side to the seawater side of the preparation. This preparation offers a useful approach to the study of osmoregulation in bony fishes.

Teleost chloride cell. I. Response of pupfish Cyprinodon variegatus gill Na,K-ATPase and chloride cell fine structure to various high salinity environments

Certain euryhaline teleosts can tolerate media of very high salinity, i.e. greater than that of seawater itself. The osmotic gradient across the integument of these fish is very high and the key to their survival appears to be the enhanced ability of the gill to excrete excess NaCl. These fish provide an opportunity to study morphological and biochemical aspects of transepithelial salt secretion under conditions of vastly different transport rates. Since the cellular site of gill salt excretion is believed to be the "chloride cell" of the branchial epithelium and since the enzyme Na,K-ATPase has been implicated in salt transport in this and other secretory tissues, we have focused our attention on the differences in chloride cell structure and gill ATPase activity in the variegated pupfish Cyprinodon variegatus adapted to half-strength seawater (50% SW), seawater (100% SW), or double-stregth seawater (200% SW). The Na,K-ATPase activity in gill homogenates was 1.6 times greater in 100% SW. When 50% SW gills were compared to 100% SW gills, differences in chloride cell morphology were minimal. However, chloride cells from 200% SW displayed a marked hypertrophy and a striking increase in basal-lateral cell surface area. These results suggest that there are correlations among higher levels of osmotic stress, basal-lateral extensions of the cell surface, and the activity of the enzyme Na,K-ATPase.